Jonathan LaPaglia’s fans have started a petition to keep the 55-year-old as the host of Australian Survivor.
It was announced on Monday that Jonathan would not be returning to Australian Survivor in 2026 after hosting the show for nine years.
“Australian Survivor has seen some of the most epic blindsides over the last 10 years,” Jonathan wrote on Instagram on Monday. “But this one might just be the craziest of them all… because it happened to me.”
“I received a call from the Network thanking me for all my hard work and dedication to the show but for next season they are ‘going in a different direction’. Ratings had dipped a bit recently and they wanted to do something drastic to shake things up,” he continued.
Jonathan said he will miss the “immensely talented crew, all the crafty players and our loyal sassy audience” before metaphorically snuffing out his own torch.
However, the tribe of JLP fans have since spoken and have started a petition demanding Channel 10 keep the long-running host in his job.
“Jonathan LaPaglia has been an iconic part of Survivor Australia, bringing charisma, professionalism, and heartfelt dedication to fans across the nation,” the Change.org petition reads.
“We urge Channel 10 to reaffirm their commitment to excellence by keeping Jonathan LaPaglia at the helm of Survivor Australia. His dedication to the show has enriched the lives of many, and the loyalty of the viewership should not be underestimated.”
At the time of publishing, almost 3000 people had already signed the petition. Want to sign the petition too? Click here.
Jonathan’s social media accounts have also been flooded with comments of support over the past two days.
“The tribe has NOT spoken,” one person commented. “The tribe wants you back. This is insane. After your final season, I’m snuffing out my Survivor watching torch.”
“HUGE MISTAKE!!! It honestly won’t be the same without you!!!” added someone else. “This news breaks my heart! Maybe you can come back as a contestant and blindside everyone!”
“This is not okay! JLP IS AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR,” said a third person. “The issue isn’t you, it’s the predictable editing and production. Big mistake…. HUGE!”
And it wasn’t just fans who were devastated about the news, many former contestants also shared their love for JLP in the comments.
“Not a bad word in the comments lets you know the impact you have left on everyone that played and watched the game,” said two-time contestant Luke Toki. “You were a big part of my experience out there. You might not of have shown it but I could tell you were upset every time I got blindsided in the game hahah… it’s been a pleasure King.”
“Mate, this is genuinely devastating,” posted season 1 contestant Matt Tarrant. “One of my favourite memories of the game is you pulling out the beers from the crew fridges for us season 1 cast at the finale because no one else cared about us at that point. Absolute gem of a bloke, good luck for whatever is next JLP.”
“Going to miss those oily pipes, dulcet tones and sneaky puns,” wrote season 3 contestant Lee Carseldine. “Congrats on a great journey and thanks for making this great show in Australia a huge success.”
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